Ishmael (novel)

Ismael ( original English Title: Ishmael ) is a 1991 published in Goldmann Verlag novel by Daniel Quinn. This work represents the first part of from the books "The Story of B. " and "My Ishmael " ( German title: Ishmael secret ) existing trilogy

Content

The novel is about an initially disillusioned, directionless young man who since his early childhood constantly on the lookout for a "secret knowledge", or an answer to the question how he could save the earth was. He lost several years ago hoping to find someone who can teach him this knowledge. Until he discovered one morning in the newspaper a classified, in a "teacher " look for a "pupil with an earnest desire to save the world ."

First, skepticism occurs when the young man if this teacher could answer his questions. He is struggling then but to do so by to visit these teachers and little is later more than just surprised. The teacher is in fact not a man but a gorilla named Ishmael, who has learned to communicate with people telepathically. Ismael lives in a run-down office building of unspecified American city. He had to leave his previous accommodation, as the woman who supported him financially and gave him shelter, has died. Ishmael's life story is told in a side story of himself, because he is of the opinion, in order to teach his students, can need to know the two. The name of the student is not mentioned in the book, from the sequel, Ishmael secret, but we learn that it is the writer Alan Lomax.

The classes visited the Alan deals with the investigation of the myths of humanity and its effect on the morale and the reference to sustainability in today's time. Ismael applies here to the Socratic method. That is, the teacher gives his students homework that should solve it until the next meeting by own knowledge. This is Ishmael to to have the illusion of the student and of humanity, he was the ultimate beings, the peak of evolution collapse. He wants to prove that human supremacy is built on cultural myths and that they are listed by the modern civilization, as in a play.

Ishmael criticism, refers primarily to the fact that this a myth that is performed today, is no longer questioned, although the lifestyle of today's man is on the continued exploitation of the planet, designed only in a small way on sustainability, but much more. This he attributes to the influence of politics and the media on society that every day, in an undifferentiated way, repeat and continue this myth. Ishmael sees man generally less than the greatest creation that has spawned the evolution, but rather as part of the large interconnected Earth system. Man but I Renounced this system, in which he called for no longer valid considers the laws of nature and the planet undergoes a tremendous overexploitation.

Ismael suggests Alan before any concrete action, as this can save the world. He gives him but to understand that the objective of his teaching is that to operate his students also as teachers and other people feel his teachings.

At the end of the book Ishmael disappears from the office building. After some research, Alan can find out that Ishmael is accommodated in a traveling circus, who is visiting the city. He drives the circus afterwards to continue the lessons with him to what at first he succeeds. Alan speaks with the new owner of Ishmael, trying to get enough money to free him from the circus. He manages to do ultimately, but when he returns to the circus, this has already moved on. Ishmael suffered recently from a severe pneumonia and Alan can bring a still backward circus workers just learned that the gorilla had died.

Characters

Ismael

Ishmael is a gorilla that is taken at a young age caught in West Africa and sold to an American zoo. After he ends up in a traveling circus, a man named Walter Sokolow who buys him the traveling circus and brings him at his home discovered him. Walter Sokolow gives him the name Ishmael and discovered that can communicate telepathically with him Ishmael. Ishmael is taught by him in the human sciences, writing and language. Ishmael begins a teacher for people to be, including the daughter Sokolow, Rachel and brings them as they save the world and lead a sustainable life with. Ishmael disappears at the end of the novel, leaving behind his student. This assumes that Ishmael died of pneumonia.

Narrator

The unnamed narrator is a white middle-aged American who ( Ishmael ) will be attentive in a newspaper ad for a teacher who " students with the earnest desire to save the world " searches. He was when he was young looking for a teacher of showing him how he could make the world better and safer, but this is not found and has since resigned and unhappy. He is interested in the new teacher and hopes that he can answer his questions he raises since childhood, the student-teacher relationship goes but also with a certain skepticism. The name of the narrator is not mentioned in Ishmael, in the sequel " Ishmael secret" one learns, however, that it is Alan Lomax.

Walter Sokolow

Walter Sokolow is a rich Jewish merchant who frees a gorilla from the traveling circus and take him at his home. His family was murdered in the Holocaust, and he emigrated to the United States. He it is who, and thus gives the gorilla named Ishmael own identity. Together they begin to do research and to deal with various sciences, such as philosophy and anthropology. After his death, his daughter Rachel takes care of Ishmael.

Rachel Sokolow

Rachel is the daughter of Walter Sokolow. She was a student of Ishmael and took care of a certain amount of time after the death of her father to Ishmael. However, Rachel is suffering from a serious illness and also dies. With her death Ismael has forced more and no financial support is to leave the care of the Sokolow.

Filming

This novel served as the basis for the psychological thriller by Jon Turteltaub instinct from the year 1999.

Known actors in this movie are Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Donald Sutherland, and Maura Tierney.

Awards and Internet presence

The author Daniel Quinn in 1991 received the endowed $ 500,000 Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award, which was not subsequently awarded according to data. In addition, there is up to now the only literary work that was awarded such a high sum.

The self-made by Daniel Quinn internet page about Ismael offers numerous information and dissemination options also displays a list of schools in which this book is part of the regular class.

Book editions

German:

• Daniel Quinn: Ishmael. Goldmann Verlag, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-442-42376-7.

English:

• Daniel Quinn: Ishmael. Bantam Books, New York et al 1992, ISBN 0-553-07875-5.
• Daniel Quinn: Ishmael. Bantam / Turner Book, New York 1993, ISBN 0-553-56166-9.